Picket-fence machine.



J. S. PURDY.

PIGKET FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

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WITNESSES.-

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN S. PURDY, OF HOUSTON HEIGHTS, TEXAS.

PIGKET-FENCE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Application filed July 5, 1913. Serial No. 777,533.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. PURDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston Heights, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picket- Fence Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a picket fence machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described whereby a fence may be constructed of wire in which the ordinary fence pickets are woven and spaced a uniform distance apart.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction and operation, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof. Figs. 4 and 5 show plan and edge views, respectively, of the picket guide, and Figs. 6 and 7 show plan and end views, respectively, of the picket spacing fingers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1 refers to a train of spur gears which mesh with one another and are driven by the combination spur and bevel gear 2 interposed between and meshing with two of said spur gears 1. This gear 2 is driven by means of the bevel pinion 3 which is in turn driven by the crank 4-. The gears l and 2 are supported by suitable bearings 8 which in turn are carried by the uprights 5, 5. The crank shaft 6 of the crank 4 has a double bearing in the brackets 7 7 which are carried by the uprights 5, 5 and the bevel pinion 3 is fixed upon this crank shaft 6. As shown, the alternate spur gears 1 have two holes parallel with their axes diametrically opposite from each other and about one and onehalf inches apart, and the wires 9 into which the pickets are to be woven are passed through these holes.

Two picket guides 10, 10 are provlded which are oblong members formed preferably of sheet metal and have transverse recesses 11 formed in their inner faces to allow the wires, which pass between them, to fall the upper and lower ends,

apart so as to form a free passageway for the pickets between said wires. These guides are secured to the uprights 5, 5 by means of the lugs 16.

Spacing fingers 12, 12 are provided near respectively, of the guides and are fastened at one end to the respective blocks i l by means of the rivets 13, 13 and the blocks in turn are secured to the uprights 5, 5 between said uprights and the picket guides 1O, 10, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. These fingers are formed of flexible tongue-shaped metal and their outer ends are curved inwardly and their extreme ends then bent outwardly so that the outwardly bent portions of the free ends of the tongues will extend at right angles to the body portion thereof.

A handle 17 is provided which is secured to one of the uprights 5 by means of which the machine may be manually pulled along as the construction of the fence progresses. As the machine is pulled along from the last picket inserted by means of the handle 17 the wires 9 fall into the recesses 11 of the guides. A new picket is then inserted, point downward, between the guides and drops down between the guides and Wires and is stopped by the rest plate 18 secured to a: cross brace fixed to the bottom of the uprights 5, 5. The machine is then pushed forward until the spacing fingers 12, 12 rest against the last picket woven in. This brings the picket in the guides the proper distance away from the last one inserted. The shaft 6 is then given a number of turns, through the crank 4 which imparts a corresponding number of turns to each member of the train of gears and causes the wires 9 to twist around the picket. The machine is then again receded by means of the handle 17 and is ready for another picket.

The entire device is mounted at its lower end upon a frame 19 which has two carrier Wheels 20, 20, so that it will be easily moved.

Vhat I claim is 1. A device of the character described, including a frame and carrier wheels upon which the same is mounted, two uprights spaced apart and fixed in position relative to each other, carried by said frame, a train of intermeshing spur gear wheels rotatably mounted in suitable bearings located between said uprights and carried thereby, said gear wheels being provided with two holes parallel with their axes and located on opposite sides thereof for the reception of fence-forming wires, means for manually rotating one of said gear wheels, two vertically extending guides fixed to the uprights and spaced apart, the inner face of each guide being provided with a transverse recess in which said wires rest, a rest plate fixed to the lower end of said uprights and alined with the space between said guides, and two pairs of spacing fingers, said pairs being fixed to the uprights near their upper and lower ends, respectively, and projecting out at right angles therefrom beyond said guides.

2. A device of the character described, including a frame and carrier wheels upon which the same is mounted, two uprights carried by the frame, said uprights being spaced apart and fixed in position relative to each other, a train of alined interme'shing spur gears rotatably mounted in suitable bearings located between said uprights and carried thereby, said gear wheels being provided with two orifices extending there- -through on opposite sides of their axes and parallel therewith for the reception of fenceforming wires, means for rotating one of said gear wheels, two vertically extending guides fixed to the uprights and spaced apart, the inner face of each guide being provided with transverse recesses opposite said orifices in which said wires normally rest, a rest plate fixed to the lower end of said uprights and alined with the space between said guides, and two pairs of spacing fingers, the members of each pair being arranged opposite each other, said pairs of fingers being fixed to the uprights near their upper and lower ends, respectively, and proj ecting out at right angles therefrom beyond said guides.

3. A device of the character described, including a frame and carrier wheels upon which the same is mounted, two uprights carried by the frame, said uprights being spaced apart and fixed in position relative to each other, a train of alined intermeshing spur gears rotatably mounted in suitable bearings located between said uprights and carried thereby, said gear wheels being provided with two orifices extending therethrough on opposite sides of their axes and parallel therewith for the reception of fenceforming wires, means for rotating one of said gear wheels, two vertically extending guides fixed to the uprights and spaced apart, the inner face of each guide being provided with transverse recesses opposite said orifices in which said wires normally rest, a rest plate fixed to the lower end of said uprights and alined with the space between said guides, two p-airs of spacing fingers, the members of each pair being arranged opposite each other, said pairs of fingers being fixed to the uprights near their upper and lower ends, respectively, and projecting at right angles therefrom beyond said guides, and a handle fixed to one of said uprights for manually propelling the device.

l. A device of the character described, including a frame and carrier wheels upon which the same is mounted, two uprights spaced apart and fixed in position relative to each other, carried by said frame, a rotatable member mounted in a suitable bearing carried by said uprights, said member being provided with two orifices parallel with and located on opposite sides of the axis thereof for the reception of fence-forming wires, means for rotating said rotatable vmember, two vertically extending guides fixed to the uprights and spaced apart, the inner faces of each guide being provided with transverse recesses opposite said orifices in which said wires normally rest, a rest plate fixed to the lower end of said uprights and alined with the space between said guides, and spacing fingers fixed to said nprights and projecting out at right angles ftherefrom beyond said guides.

5. A device of the character described, in-

cluding a frame, two uprights spaced apart and fixed in position relative to each other, carried by said frame, a train of intermeshing spur gear wheels rotatably mounted in suitable bearings located between said uprights and carried thereby, said gear wheels being provided with two holes parallel with their axes and located on opposite sides thereof for the reception of fence-forming wires, means for manually rotating one of said gear wheels, two vertically extending guides fixed to said upright-s and spaced apart, the inner face of each guide being provided with a transverse recess in which said wires rest, a rest plate fixed at the lower end of said uprights and alined with the space between said guides, and two pairs of spacing fingers, said pairs being fixed to the uprights near their upper and lower ends respectively and projecting out at right angles therefrom beyond said guides.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J OI-Ih S. PURDY.

\Vitnesses:

MAY MONTGOMERY, J. C. CARPENTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

